impossibility

[ im-pos-uh-bil-i-tee, im-pos- ]

/ ɪmˌpɒs əˈbɪl ɪ ti, ˌɪm pɒs- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR impossibility ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural im·pos·si·bil·i·ties for 2.

condition or quality of being impossible.

Nearby words

impose, impose on, imposing, imposing stone, imposition, impossibility, impossible, impossible figure, impost, impost block, impostor

Origin of impossibility

1350–1400; Middle English impossibilite < Late Latin impossibilitās. See im-², possibility

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for impossibility

The smartest book ever written about the impossibility of direct communication.
Wayne Koestenbaum’s Book Bag: The Best of the ’80s|Wayne Koestenbaum|August 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But Huckabee is an impossibility because he and Romney don't like each other.
And Speaking of Unfavorable Views of Romney...|Michael Tomasky|August 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
But you can write a fantastic novel about the impossibility of writing about the Holocaust.
Father’s Day 2012 Gift Ideas: 13 Best Books for Dad|The Daily Beast|June 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The main reasons were the relief of the end of the war and also the impossibility to fathom the disaster.
Claude Lanzmann on 'Shoah', His Memoir, and the Banality of Evil|Clémence Boulouque|June 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST

While Justice Stephen Breyer dismissed this as an impossibility, other justices were not reassured.
Supreme Court Finishes Hearing Health-Care Law Arguments|Ben Jacobs|March 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The second or any subsequent performance was therefore an impossibility.
Giacomo Puccini|Wakeling Dry
History has proved the impossibility of its retaining its purity for half a century.
Olla Podrida|Frederick Marryat (AKA Captain Marryat)
In a fourth a system of idealistic metaphysics is being excogitated; in a fifth the impossibility of metaphysics is being shown.
Pragmatism|William James
"I am thinking of you," he reminded her, reverting to the impossibility of associating that thought with the other.
The King of Arcadia|Francis Lynde
Our eyes met, and we stood petrified, realising the impossibility of concealing our names.
To Tell You the Truth|Leonard Merrick

British Dictionary definitions for impossibility

impossibility

/ (ɪmˌpɒsəˈbɪlɪtɪ, ˌɪmpɒs-) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being impossible

something that is impossible

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for impossibility

impossibility

late 14c., "quality of being impossible," from impossible + -ity; perhaps from or modeled on French impossibilité. Meaning "an impossible thing or occurrence" is from c.1500.

impossibility

noun, plural im·pos·si·bil·i·ties for 2.

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Origin of impossibility

Examples from the Web for impossibility

British Dictionary definitions for impossibility

impossibility

noun plural -ties

Word Origin and History for impossibility

impossibility